STARBOY! || XIAO ||

TIME SKIP

CHAPTER XVII
TIME SKIP
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IT HAS BEEN YEARS SINCE I LAST STEPPED FOOT IN LIYUE, and it still looks like how it did when I left.

My now husband stood next to me, and he wore a white coat to keep him warm from the Liyue winter chill.

We stepped off the boat and walked up the docks to look around.

Ayato and I wore similar outfits, and mine was adorned with a ring on my finger, representing my marriage with him.

While he spoke to shopkeepers over their goods, I turned my head and saw two figures I immediately recognised.

"I see two of my old friends...I'll meet you at the Jade Chamber?" I tugged at his coat and he nodded, kissing my forehead.

By then the two had recognised me and ran up to me, Beidou and Kazuha both looked older.

"Y/n! Oh my god is it really you?" she hugged me and cupped my face.

Kazuha joined in and held me tightly, through that I could tell he missed me dearly.

Ayato watched this beside me and simply chuckled.

"I never thought I would see you again...but here you are and you look gorgeous Y/n." Beidou smiled widely.

"Hello, Mr. Kamisato." Kazuha and Beidou both said in unison.

"You can call me Ayato, it's a pleasure." he let out his hand with a small smile.

"I'll leave you three, I'll meet you in the Jade Chamber dear." he gripped my hand and let go, following a guard up to the chamber, leaving me and my old friends together.

"What have you two been doing after finishing school?" I asked them.

"We're both working on the boats together and you?" Beidou answered.

"Oh well...I've just been a wife, there's not much to it." I chuckled sadly.

"Well you two look good, I mean you look completely different Y/n." Beidou laughed.

"I guess so...there's a lot to the Kamisato clan."

"Well...how long are you here for?" Kazuha asked me, looking excited.

"Three days, we're here for business reasons."

"Oh great! We will get to see more of you...because right now we are running late and we have to get to the boats urgently." Beidou hugged me and took Kazuha, running off towards the docks.

I smiled to myself, feeling good that I got to see my friends again.

I looked around me, eyeing out the temple bench on top of the mountain, feeling the need to visit my favourite place once more.

And so I made the hike, in heels.

I arrived at the bench and reached into my coat jacket, pulling out a joint Kazuha handed me in secret when he hugged me tightly.

I lit the joint and puffed on it, remembering the times I had spent here in my previous years in Liyue.

I heard footsteps behind me and I lowered the lit joint, making sure they couldn't see.

They sat next to me, not minding to know who I was and reached into their pocket too.

They turned to face me and immediately stopped what they were doing and looked on the verge of tears.

"Y/n-"

"Xiao." I smiled at him, keeping composure.

He pulled me into his embrace, letting out a cry on my shoulder.

"Y/n where were you all these years." he sobbed.

"I'm so sorry Xiao, if I had control over the situation it would have been very different." I frowned, remembering the distinct smell he wore.

"I missed you...I missed you so fucking much." he pulled away and looked into my eyes.

"You left me, and you didn't even tell me," he added.

"I had to leave Xiao, I really did."

"Did I scare you away...?"

"No, Scaramouche was the reason."

"You went back to Inazuma for Scaramouche?" he looked hurt, betrayed even.

"I went back to Inazuma to get married Xiao." I held back tears.

He stared at me in shock, unable to muster a word in response.

"Scaramouche came to my house the day after that party and threatened to tell my long-distance fiancé of my infidelity, and if he did that, I would have no guarantee of a stable future."

"I don't know what to say-"

"I had an arranged marriage with the head of the Kamisato Clan." I turned away from him.

"And you didn't tell me? Y/n why didn't you tell me this before I gave my life to you, you left me!"

"I wish I could answer." my head hung low.

"I gave myself to you, I gave my whole life to you...and it felt like it ended when I saw you leaving that night and you hadn't even told me." he shook his head.

"If I had a second chance at my life, I would do anything I could possibly do to be with you." I frowned and made him look at me.

I stood up and took his hand to stand along with me, and there I realised that Xiao never really changed.

He got closer to me, staring deep into my eyes.

"Please, just one more time." he frowned and held my hand.

"One more time." I closed my eyes and awaited the feeling of his lips on mine for a final time.

He pressed them against me softly, and I couldn't help but cry.

Everything I felt for him was expressed in this kiss, and now I have to live my life knowing that I never got to be with the only man I really wanted.

He pulled away and put his forehead on mine.

"I love you Y/n."

It hurts to say it because I'm happily married to a man who is giving me my best option for the future. But I know that I'll never love him as much as I love Xiao.

After this I have to go back to living with my husband, not knowing if I'll ever see Xiao again.
But I just can't say it, I can't say how I feel.

"I'M SORRY XIAO,
I HAVE TO LEAVE."
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@SCYKHS